October 2012
Dear
Changes to the University’s assessment regulations
I am writing to let you know that, following a major review of its assessment regulations during the last academic year, the University has approved new Regulations governing the Assessment of Students on Taught Programmes (Senate Regulation 7). You might find it helpful to know that the changes are designed to ensure that the University meets the expectations of the relevant sections of the revised QAA Quality Code, and the guidance issued for external examiners by the Higher Education Academy.
A copy of the regulations is enclosed for your information and can also be found on the University’s website at:
Key changes in the new regulations include the introduction of Panels of Examiners to agree module outcomes and report these to Boards of Examiners, and the introduction of a University-wide approach to the consideration of students’ mitigating circumstances. Penalties for the late submission of coursework and plagiarism have also been revised. These changes will be implemented in full for Boards of Examiners taking place in 2013.
In addition, the new regulations represent a number of changes to the role and responsibilities of the University’s external examiners. You can find the details of these changes in regulations 7.18 – 7.60, and will see that we will be asking you to make judgements about the standard of the University’s awards and the achievement of our students, as compared to those in other institutions. We will no longer be asking you to make recommendations about the appropriate marks to be awarded to individual students.
I appreciate that these new regulations are being introduced part way through your period of office and that this means that the University is asking you to make changes to the way you work with us. I would also like to let you know that we will be introducing a revised reporting process for external examinersshortly,and will also need to make some changes to the process through which you are paid for your work to ensure that the University is able to demonstrate the necessary levels of compliance with UKBA requirements. The Quality Office will contact you about these changes later this term and will also send you a copy of our new Handbook for External Examiners.
If you have any queries about the new regulations or the procedures relating to external examining at Leicester please contact me, or Louise Masterman, Deputy Academic Registrar; Louise’s email address is .
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support for the Department and the work that you undertake for the University to help us to assure our academic standards.
Yours sincerely
Head of Department